Seed Balls

So, like a lot of people on here, I read Fukuoka's book. Also Sepp's book.
In there Sepp talks about just throwing the seeds out there, really thickly it looks like (http://www.permies.com/t/5559/permaculture/Sepp-Holzer-method-planting I don't remember him talking specifically about his method in "Sepp Holzer's Permcaculture"). This is good, but I don't have a ton to spend on seeds...
Fukuoka talks about using seed balls with clay and soil.
So, I know he lives on the mountain, and gets clay from there, I live in Florida. I haven't found any clay around my house, yet. But, until then, I do want to do seed balls, to increase my chances. So the function of the clay is to protect the seed until it gets wet, then it dissolves. That means I need something that will break down when it gets wet, and will keep the seed dry till then, or something like that.
I thought maybe a leaf, but that would take forever to break down, so no.
Maybe Spanish moss? Maybe a some old wood pulp?
I don't know, what do you guys think?

You can use card/paper pulp. Mix shredded paper with water and blend until it resembles mush0 add seeds, mix more, then shape into your required shape. They're often done in heart shapes and sold as wedding favours and things. The paper pulp holds water next to the seeds for a bit longer to give them an increased chance of germinating.

I also mix some chilli in with mine, seems to keep the insects off for a bit longer. Doesn't help with the birds though.

Leon Segler

Posts: 33

1

posted 4 years ago

Thanks a bunch, I'll definitely try that out. Hey, I heard comfrey was kinda' a nitrogen hog, would it be okay to put some coffee grounds in? Mostly folgers. The paper doesn't help with birds? I don't there's a big problem with birds here.

The paper helps with the birds as far as they seem less likely to eat the whole seed ball, as oppose to seeds which the local pigeons quite happily gobble up. I seem to have very strange birds though- as they seem to steal/eat whole seed balls if I make them too small, it seems to be a certain magpie that nicks everything- probably has a nest made of my sprouting seeds!

Coffee grounds would probably be good, I usually mix a bit of sieved compost into mine- I've done experiments on how much it helps, but it can't hinder!